Interesting Employment

05Oct

Sometimes it’s interesting to talk to people about their lives. Actually, I always find that interesting. People fascinate me and it’s always interesting to learn about how their lives differ from mine. Some people have really interesting jobs and they are just out there enough that I never would have thought that someone actually does that and gets paid for it. (okay, I used the word “interesting” WAY too much in those last few sentences)

Everyone’s heard of a lawyer, pharmacist, carpenter, mechanic and whatever else that’s common and keeps the world running, but what about the guy who has a machine that creates zero gravity in your attic just to suck out insulation? (who doesn’t want a machine that creates zero gravity? That’s bitchin) Or how about the guy who flies a helicopter to fight forest fires and mine diamonds? (not at the same time) You never hear about those guys. I’ve met those guys. Their job might have been the most interesting thing about them. But still.

The job I learned about has to do with cruise ships. So here’s a picture of a cruise ship. From a distance. Can you see it?

It’s not a very good picture and it’s Vancouver, which is totally the wrong coast…but… close enough. You get the idea. There’s a cruise ship. And that’s what it looks like. That’s the idea. In case you were lost

So the job that I learned about recently was something called a Port Lecturer (if I’m remembering correctly). I so want his job when I’m older and nearing retirement because it would be AWESOME. All he does is give lectures on a cruise ship about the port that they will be arriving in the next day. That’s it. He goes on walking tours that the ship offers at each port to learn more about the towns they are visiting (and also to evaluate whether or not people would want to do them), learns some of the history and stories that people tell and then turns it into a short lecture to share with the ships passengers. Walking tours are only about an hour long, so after that he just explores the city.

I think that would be so much fun. It’s essentially a vacation…for a job! He spends a month on a ship that travels Canada, visiting Halifax, Cape Breton, PEI and then Quebec. Then for the winter they travel around the Caribbean, doing the same thing. You get to winter in the Caribbean. Sign me up.